it!" cried Old Billee.

"He sure enough did!" echoed Yellin' Kid, reaching for his cigarette
papers and muslin bag of tobacco.

"That ought to get him something at Palmo," commented Snake Purdee,
referring to a coming rodeo in a nearby town close to the Mexican
border. "Can't do a much more hair-raisin' trick than that!"

"I didn't think he could do it!" commented Old Billee coming around
from the far side of the corral to join his friends.

"Well, he tried hard enough before he managed to stick," exclaimed Nort.

In the excess of her enthusiasm Nell clapped her hands. And Dick,
turning to ascertain the source of the noise, chuckled:

"Look who's here!"

"Got a ticket, little girl?" asked Bud, who, having demonstrated that
he could do what he had said he could--leap from the corral fence to
the back of a passing pony--was now slowing down his steed and riding
him back to where the other punchers were perched.

"I'm a reporter," responded Nell with a smile. "I'm writing this rodeo
up for the papers."

"Then we'll have to make a press box for you," said Nort.

He and his brother, with the half score of cowboys, and Nell were
offering their congratulations to the daring boy rancher when a new
voice, floating toward the corral from the direction of the house,
called to ask:

"What's all the excitement about?"

"Oh, hello, Dad!" cried Bud, waving his hat toward a well set-up,
bronzed specimen of a western ranchman who was walking slowly toward
the fence. "Did you see me?"

"I saw you risk your neck, if that's what you mean," answered Mr.
Merkel with a half smile.

"You should have seen him when he missed!" chuckled Old Billee.

"Anything the matter, Dad?" asked Bud as he swung himself down off the
saddle blanket and approached his father who was now leaning over the
top rail of the corral fence. Something in Mr. Merkel's face showed
that he had news to impart.

"You see," went on Bud, "we're all going to do stunts over at the Palmo
rodeo, and I made up this one, of fence jumping, so Dick and Nort and I
could horn in on some of the prizes. But if you don't want me to--"
He paused suggestively.

"You seemed to make out all right this last time, which is the only
time I saw you," chuckled Mr. Merkel. "But----"

"You needn't worry about the ranch work, Dad!" interrupted Bud,
eagerly. "It's all been 'tended to. Herd riding, looking after
fences, cattle all shipped off just as you left word when yo